Blustery today (like everywhere else I expect) on our daily ramble around the Gann. Nice to see some migration in action, with 3 Dunlin (2 with black bellies) and 3 Ringed Plover on the beach. The single Knot still here, hanging out with 12 Redshank (4 of which were colour ringed, all successfully read), but no sign of the Ruff (Reeve) & just 1 Greenshank remains it seems. The Oystercatchers were initially on one of the lagoon islands, before relocating to the beach as the tide came in, and they numbered 59 (8 colour rings were read, perhaps 2 more we couldn't get).
Just a single Mute Swan today, and just 8 Curlew (perhaps more were hidden on the saltmarsh). Mallard numbered 3, a pair and a lone male mingling with the 8 Brent Geese on the far side of the bay at Musselwick. We counted 5 Shelduck, and then had to re-assess our total when a party of 12 flew in and landed on the lagoon as we got back to the house. 12 or 17, we shall never know. We have yet to see a single hirundine here this spring...
The smaller gull numbers seem to have dropped, with just 1 Black-headed Gull on the lagoon, and perhaps 25 Common Gulls which dropped in for a short time. The large gulls seem to like loafing in one of the fields between us and Mullock, and then bathing above the bridge when the fancy a wash and brush up. Catching their breaths before the breeding season gets fully underway presumably....
